Computers provide access to stored documents that otherwise would be impossible or impractical to obtain. For example, computers can manipulate data and carry out processes that may be possible for people to carry out but could require extended periods of time, such as on the order of years or a life time, to carry out. Alternatively, dozens of people would be required to carry out the functions.
One example of a process that can be carried out quickly with a computer includes word-processing. Changing the text of a document with a word processor eliminates the need for retyping an entire document. Additionally, computers make it possible to search for the location of a single word in the text of document or collection of documents. To search each word of a document or documents that could include thousands of pages and perhaps millions of words would be impossible for all practical purposes. One person may not be able to carry out such a task in a lifetime or many people would need to spend long periods of time carrying out such a task.
Other processes that computers can carry out include maintaining inventory, on-line business transactions, such as auctions, and mathematical modeling. Just as with the text searching function, while it may be possible for people to perform these functions, the computer makes such activities practical by carrying them out in short periods of time. Actually, many if not most of the functions performed by desktop computers would be just as impractical or impossible as larger complex described above.
With respect to on-line activities, the Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links. The interconnected computers exchange information using various services, such as electronic mail, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (“WWW”). The WWW service allows a server computer system (i.e., Web server or Web site) to send graphical Web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote client computer system can then display the Web pages. Each resource (e.g., computer or Web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”). To view a specific Web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for that Web page in a request (e.g., a hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) request). The request is forwarded to the Web server that supports that Web page. When that Web server receives the request, it sends that Web page to the client computer system. When the client computer system receives that Web page, it typically displays the Web page using a browser. A browser is a special-purpose application program that effects the requesting of Web pages and the displaying of Web pages.
Currently, Web pages are typically defined using hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”). HTML provides a standard set of tags that define how a Web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to the browser to display a Web page, the browser sends a request to the server computer system to transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the Web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client computer system, the browser displays the Web page as defined by the HTML document. The HTML document contains various tags that control the displaying of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document may contain URLs of other Web pages available on that server computer system or other server computer systems.
Although computers can greatly facilitate many tasks, the computers require programming and input. With text searching functions, unless the text is accurately input and a search engine available, the computer may be useless. Tools that make the computer useful are as essential as the computer itself.